Garment or ironing press



March 13, 1934. J. Q LEDBETTER 1,950,802

GARMENT OR IRONJENG PRESS Filed Sept. 26, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR James famrod Lealfieffer ATTORNEYS March 13, 1934. J. c. LEDBETTER GARMENT 0R IRONING PRESS Filed Sept. 26, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7, ORNEYS INVENTOR James [Zzmmv/ Lealeifer ATT March 13, 1934. C LEDBETTER 1,950,862

GARMENT OR IRONING PRESS Filed Sept. 26, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FT m INVENTOR James (amrod Ledbezler ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 13, 1934 PATENT OFFICE GARMENT on IRONING PRESS Application September 26, 1930, Serial No. 484,521

18 Claims.

This invention relates to garment or ironing presses, and particularly to a press adapted for. use in a limited space, say for example in homes, stores and other establishments where it is desirable to move the presss out of the way when not in use.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a jaw-type press of a construction well adapted to garment, ironing or other presses; and which is compact in design and embodies folding means whereby the press jaws, for example the head and buck, may be folded or tilted from their horizontal or operative ironing or useful positions into a vertical or inoperative non-useful position and out of the way so as to take up less space when not in use. In this Way a foldable press of ample size, with long cominodious press jaws may be provided for doing rapid work in places where an occasional pressing job must be done and yet not be an inconvenience by taking up a large amount of room when not in use, because the press jaws can be folded, or in other words tilted into vertical position against the frame of the machine.

A further object is to produce jaw-operating means for a press whereby the ordinary lever means, such as a pedal or other means for opening and closing the press, is capable of easy and simple disconnection from one of the press jaws, usually the press head, in order that said press head may be readily tilted or swung into vertical position with reference to the press frame and the operating pedal.

Another object is to produce a novel and positive jaw look or anchorage means on the press frame so that when in use, the press jaws, i. e., the head and buck, are securely retained in horizontal ironing position, but when the pressing or ironing work is completed, the operator can easily release the look so that the head and buck may be tilted as a unit with reference to the frame of the machine into a vertical position and the machine can then be pushed back into a corner or closet out of the way and occupy considerably less floor space than it does W.-en in operation.

A further object is to construct a foldable or collapsible garment or ironing press of the class herein described which is provided with. means for holding or looking the operating treadle in an inconspicuous retracted position when the press jaws of the machine are tilted to a folded or vertical position and thereby'further reduce the floor space required for storing the machine when not in use.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter be specifically pointed out or will become apparent from either the following description thereof or the appended claims which define the same.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made in the following description, I'have illustrated my invention by means of numerous views of a machine embodying the same in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my pressing machine as seen from the left-hand side when the press jaws are closed in horizontal operative position.

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the machine in the same position as Figure 1 except that the press jaws are open.

Figure 3 shows a front elevational view of the machine with the press jaws thereof locked in horizontal position.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the machine shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows a front elevational view of a garment or ironing press embodying my present invention with the press jaws thereof rotated to a vertical or inoperative position, or in other words with the frame, press-jaws and operating treadle folded upon each other.

Figure dis a. fragmental rear elevational 'view of the machine shown in Figure 5.

Figures '7, 8 and 9 are assembled detailed views showing partial assemblies of the operative connection between the treadle and one of the press jaws as well as the hinge pinabout which the jaw is rotated to vertical position with reference tothe treadle.

Figure 10 is a detailed view showing, in full lines, a cross-section of the locking bolt when the press jaws are locked in horizontal position to the frame of the machine and, in dotted lines, the position of said bolt when said jaws are rotated to vertical position.

The garment or ironing press shown in the' accompanying drawings comprises a press frame or support 10 upon which is mounted a pair of coacting press jaws 11 and 12 commonly referred to respectively as the buck and presshead. The press frame 10 shown herein is provided with casters 13 and is therefore adapted to be readily and easily moved about the floor of a home or store room so that it may be either operated or stored in any desired position therein.

It will be understood that any suitable means such as gas, steam or electricity mar taemployed for heating either the buck or press head, 11 and 12 respectively, and since the provision, of such invention sufiice it to say that for home use it may be found more convenient to use the latter.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2, 5, 6 and 10 it will be seen that a pair of depending spaced lugs 14 and 15 are formed on the bottom of the buck 11 and adapted to span a T-shaped horizontal support or head portion 16 formed integral with the frame 10. The buck 11 is movably secured to the central frame standard 10 by means of a hinge pin 17 which passes through the lugs 14 and 15 and through the frame head 16 whereby the press jaws 11 and 12 are adapted-to be rotated from horizontal ironing or operative position, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, to the vertical or inoperative position, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

I provide for locking the press jaws to the frame 10 when they are in a horizontal or operative ironing position by means of a lock bolt 18 rotatably mounted in the lugs 14 and 15 at the side thereof remote from the hinge pin 17. The sides of the bolt 18 are machined intermediate its ends for a distance substantially equal to the Width of the T-shaped frame head 16, whereby a parallel-sided mid-section 19 is formed in the body of the bolt. A notch 20, having an enlarged circular end of a diameter such that the bolt 18 will fit snugly therein, is formed in the upper part of the frame head 16 at the side thereof remote from the pin 17 and is adapted to receive the lock bolt 18 when the buck 11 is in its horizontal position. When the buck is so positioned the bolt 18 is adapted to be turned to its locked position by means of a handle 21 rigidly secured thereto, as shown in full lines in Figure 10, or the bolt 18 may be turned to the unlocked position as shown by dotted lines on said view.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that I have provided a rearwardly extending bracket 22 formed integral with or attached to the buck 11 and lug 15 and that said bracket carries a journal, in the rear end thereof, in which a rock shaft, stud or hinge pin 23 is adapted to rotate. The pin 23 is keyed to, and serves as an operative connection between, an arm 24 carrying the press head 12 and a pedal or treadle 25 for operating the press head 12 to and from the buck 11. The upper end of the treadle 25 is bifurcated to form tines 26 which are trunnioned on the pin 23 by means of a stud 27 pass-' ing through the tines 26 and the pin 23. A spring 28 is connected between the treadle 25 and the frame 10 and provided with a tension adjustment bolt 29. As thus far described it will be seen that when the lower press jaw or buck 11 of this garment or ironing press is locked in a horizontal ironing position, to the frame support 16 of the machine, the press head 12 may be opened and closed'with-reference to the buck 11 when forces are exerted on the treadle 25 by the spring 28, and thefoot of an operator, respectively.

It will be noted that when the press head is -down against the buck that the pedal pin 27,

by which the treadle 25 is trunnioned to the rock shaft 23, is in axial alignment with the buck hinge pin 17. When the press jaws occupy the useful or ironing position shown in Figures 1, 3

and 4, the buck 11 may be unlockedby turning the handle 21from the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 to that shown in Figures 5 and 6; because the mid-section 19 of the bolt 18 will then occupy a position which will permit it to be withdrawn from the notch 20and the press jaws 11 and 12,

as a unit, may be simultaneously rotated about the pivot means, pins 17 and 27, and elevated to the vertical or inoperative position as shown in Figures 5 and 6. In this position the rock shaft pin 23 and treadle 25, instead of being disposed at right angles to each other whereby the former may be rocked by the latter as is the case when the press head 12 of the machine is being operated, (see Figures 7 and 8) occupy an aligned position as shown in Figure 9. When the press jaws are elevated to their vertical position they will remain so positioned or folded up until returned to a horizontal position because the center of gravitation of the press jaw unit and its associated parts is somewhat removed from the axis of the pins-17 and 27 and therefore tends to hold the jaws in the position shown in Figures 5 and6.

It should be noted that when the press jaws 11 and 12 are tilted from the horizontal to the vertical position, the treadle 25 must be in the depressed or retracted position as shown in Figure 1 so that when the jaws are elevated to the vertical position the treadle 25 and the hinge pin 23 will be in substantial alignment, or at least occupy substantially the same plane, with the result that when the press jaws are closed, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the treadle 25 will be locked, so to speak, in its depressed position and cannot return to the forwardly projecting or elevated position, as shown in Figure 2, until the press jaws are lowered to horizontal or operative position. As soon as the treadle 25 and rock shaft 23 are again positioned at right angles to one another, by the press jawsbeing lowered to horizontal position, the spring 28 will draw the treadle 25 forward and raise the press head 12.

The treadle locking means is easily understood by reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9 because it is readily seen that while rotary movement may be imparted to the pin or stud 23 by the treadle 25 when the former is held in its bearing and these parts are at right angles toeach other, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, such is not possible when they are in alignment, as shown in Figure 9, because the hinge pins 23 and 27 are immovable with reference toeach other. I reduce the unit stress on the tines 26 necessary to turn the pin 23 by making the distance between the tines 26 greater than the diameter of the pin 28 and provide an enlargement or bearing head 30 on the pin 23 for maintaining the pin in a position centrally of the tines.

The press increases its usefulness byreason of the large size jaws which fold up out of the way, and the pivot means17-27 are specially devised to afford a simultaneous pivotal fold-up action of the buck 11 on the frame and the press head 12 on the operating means 25 so that both press jaws fold as a unit after the press is closed. In closing the press head 12 onto the buck, the pivot means 17-27 are brought into alignment for carrying out the unitjaw folding operation.

While I have described what now seems to me to be the preferred embodiment of my invention 140 I am cognizant of the fact that the structure shown in the accompanying drawings may be susceptible of modification without material deviation from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims which define the 145 same.

What is claimed is:

1. A pressingmachine comprising a frame, a horizontal buckQa bracket rigidly secured to the buck, a press headhinged thereto, and an actuat- 150 ing means including a pedal, in combination with hinge means between said buck-and frame, and hinge means between the press head and actuating means, whereby said buck andpress head are adapted to be rotated-as a unit about said frame and actuating means to a substantially vertical position when not in use. e?

2. A garment or ironing press'comp'rising a frame, coacting press jaws supported on the frame in horizontal working position for general use, operating means connected to one jawto open and close the press, hinge means between the other jaw and the frame, said operating means including a hinge pin movable into axial alignment with said hinge means when the press is closed, whereby the press ja'ws are adapted to be tilted as a unit into vertical position to reduce the overall size of the press and hencerequire less room when not in use. a

3. A garment or ironing press comprising 'a frame, coacting press jaws supported on 'the frame, operating'means to actuate one of the jaws to open and close the press, said operating means comprising pivot means between one jaw and the operating means, pivot means between the other jaw and the frame, said pivot means being disposed in axial alignment when the jaws are closed whereby said jaws are adapted to be tilted into vertical position to reduce the overall size of the press.

4. A garment or ironing press comprising a pair of press jaws, an operating pedal to close the press, and a support for said jaws in combination with pivot means disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the jaws for hingedly moun't-- ing same on said support whereby the jaws are adapted to be disposed either horizontally in ironing position or in vertical non-useful position, and means to retain the pedal in a depressed position back in the frame when said jaws are in vertical position.

5. A press comprising coacting press jaws and a frame to support the same, operating means carried on the frame to open and close the press l and being in a retracted position when the press is closed, pivot means on the frame transverse to the longitudinal axis of the jaws and about which both jaws are adapted to be tilted into upright position when the press is closed, said operating means including a hinge pin which tends to hold the operating means in retracted position when said jaws are tilted into upright position.

6. A garment or ironing press comprising a frame, horizontally disposed press jaw including a buck mounted on the frame and a press head, jaw-operating means connected with the press head to open and close the press, a pivotalmounting means to retain the buck in horizontal position on the frame and to adapt the buck to be swung into a vertical out-of-use position, and a pivotal connection provided between the press head and jaw-operating means, the axis of said pivotal connection being rotatable into a position in axial alignment with the axis of'said pivotal- I mounting means whereby said. head and buck may be tilted as a. unit into vertical position when not in use.

'7. A garment or ironing press comprising a pair of coacting press jaws, operating means for one of the jaws to open and close the press, in combination with supporting means for said j aws, hinge means for mounting one of said jaws on the supporting means, and hinge means for pivotally connecting said operating means to the other jaw, said second mentioned hinge means being positioned in axial alignment with the first mentioned hinge means whereby the press jaws as a unit are adapted to be tilted into vertical position when not in use.

8. A garment or ironing press comprising a frame, a buck pivoted on the frame on an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the buck, a press head, and pedal means for actuating said press head whereby to bring it into pressing engagement'with said buck, in combination with hinge meansfor tiltably connecting said buck and press headwith respect to both the frame and the pedal means, whereby said buck and press head are adapted to be tilted as a unit into upright position when not in use.

9. A pressing machine comprising a frame, a normally horizontal buck, a press head, operating means for actuating said press head to and from the buck, hinge means carried by the operating means and movable therewith, a second hinge means having its axis transverse to the buck, the movable hinge means being in alignment with the second hinge means in a predetermined position of the head whereby the buck and head are adapted to be tilted on the frame and on the operating means to a substantially vertical non-useful position. r

10. A garment or ironing press comprising a pair of coacting press jaws and pedal means connected at all times to one of said jaws to close the press, in combination with a support for the jaws and the pedal means, a hinge between the pedal means and said one jaw; and hinge means between the support and. jaws, said hinge and hinge means forming an axis about which the jaws may be tilted on the operating means and the support into vertical position when not in use.

"11. A pressing machine comprising a press jaw unit, said unit comprising coacting press jaws; and a frame, said frame including a head on which said jaw unit is adapted to be mounted; in combination with means for mounting said jaw unit on said frame head, said mounting means comprising a hinge pin for rotatably securing said jaw unit to said head, a notch in said head, and a fiat sided bolt in said jaw unit adapted to co.

operate with said notch to lock said jaw unit against rotation about said hinge pin.

12. A pressing machine comprising a pair of coacting press jaws, hinge means for operatively connecting saidjaws together, said hinge means comprising a hinge pin rigidly connected to one of said jaws, in combination with operating means for actuating the jaw to which the hinge pin is connected, said operating means comprising a treadle having a bifurcated end forming spaced tines, a second hinge pin rigidly secured'to and transversely disposed with reference to said first mentioned hinge pin for pivotally securing said actuating means to the first mentioned hinge pin, and means for holding said first mentioned hinge pin centrally between the spaced tines on the end of said bifurcated treadle.

13. A garment or ironing press comprising, a frame and a pair of coacting press jaws arranged in horizontal ironing position, operating means for opening and closing the press, in combination with hinge means between the press jaws and the frame, and hinge means in the operating means, both of said hinge means being disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the press jaws and about which said jaws may be tilted as a unit into non-useful position.

14. A garment or ironing press, comprising an upper and a lower pressing jaw mounted in horizontal position for ironing operations, a. frame under the press jaws directly attached by a pivot to the lower jaw at one position between its ends and supported at a second spaced position between its ends to brace the lower jaw in said horizontal position and leave the ends of the jaw unobstructed, said pivot being disposed. transversely to the longitudinal axis of the jaws for tilting motion thereon, and means for pivotally supporting the upper jaw on the lower jaw for press opening and closing actions, saidlast named means being attached to the upper jaw between the ends of the latter to leave the jaw ends open and unobstructed.

15. A garment or ironing press, comprising a buck, a frame having a horizontal support at its upper end on which the buck is carried in'two positions, a pivot disposed horizontally through the support and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the buck, the buck being directly attached to the pivot and resting on the support to mount said buck in horizontal ironing position, and the buck being adapted to swing in the direction of its length around the pivot into upright position when not in use, an ironing head above the buck and adapted to coact therewith,

and means pivotally supporting the ironing headon the buck.

16. A garment or ironing machine, comprising a frame having a central standard rising therefrom, a horizontal support on the upper end of the standard, a buck directly attached to the support by a horizontal pivot transverse to the longitudinal axis of said buck, whereby the buck rests directly on the frame in horizontal ironing position or may be tilted vertically to a nonironing position, a press head, arm means rigidly secured to the press head between the ends of the latter, pivot means operatively connecting the arm means to the machine by which the head coacts with the buck, and means cooperating with the pivot means to also afiord a vertical tilting action of the head, whereby the buck and head tilt together as a unit into vertical position.

17. A garment or ironing press, comprising in combination, a pressing buck and a bracket anchored to its underneath surface and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a pressing head and an arm anchored to its upper surface and projecting rearwardly therefrom and meeting the rear end of the bracket, a rock shaft journalled in the bracket and fixed to the arm and disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head and buck, operating means to actuate the rock shaft, a support on which the buck rests; and a pivotal connection between the buck and support, at right angles to the axis of the rock shaft, to adapt thepress head and buck, with the bracket, arm and rock shaft, to tilt on the support out of ironing position.

18. A garment or ironing machine comprising in combination, a buck, a pair of spaced horizontal parallel lug means projecting downwardly from the underneath surface of the buck and extending in a direction parallel with the length of said buck, a frame having a horizontal support engaging the spaced lug means to mount the buck in horizontal ironing position, a pivot projecting through the lug means and support and disposed transversely of the length of the buck to afford an endwise tilting action of the buck on the support, a press head carried on a pivot at the rear of and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the buck, and means cooperating with said pivot to also afford an endwise tilting action of the head simultaneously with the buck to tilt both as a unit into upright position and out of the way when not in use.

JAMES CAMROD LEDBETTER. 

